Addressing a press conference here along with legislators P Veeranna and K Janardhana Reddy, Government Chief Whip N Kiran Kumar Reddy said Mr Sitaram, who had recently quit the Telugu Desam Party(TDP) to join the PRP, was making challenges, ignoring his own status.

Stating that the Chief Minister had good image in the entire state, he alleged that Mr Sitaram, who lost the 2004 elections while he was a minister in TDP, had joined the PRP for political survival.

He also alleged that the opposition TDP was trying to politicise the murder of Moddu Sreenu, the prime accused in the murder of former TDP Minister Paritala Ravindra.

Mr Reddy charged that it had become a practice for TDP President Chandrababu Naidu, to blame the Chief Minister and the Congress for any incident happening in the state, including the Moddu Sreenu murder, without knowing facts.

He charged that Moddu Sreenu murder accused Om Prakash had links with the TDP as his wife had contested the municipal elections in Ananthapur Municipality as a TDP candidate.